To think that school uniform policies can be a little ott?

[anditwasallyellow]

Probably in the minority here.

I agree with the principle of a uniform but I think sometimes they are a little impractical and uncomfortable. Cannot see the point in blazers, blazer and work style trousers you are basically in a suit which is hardly the most comfortable thing to wear all day. And ties, especially for small children, ds new school has a tie policy even for the reception kids, it's on a bit of string!

My school had a great uniform a school tracksuit which consisted of a sweatshirt with the school logo, polo shirt underneath and sweatshirt trousers, looked awful but we were all the same and it was comfy and practical. Summer uniform was summer dresses for the girls and polo shirt and sweatshirt style shorts for the boys.

Just been on my old schools website looks like the tracksuits are no longer.

My DS school are very strict about uniform. winter uniform includes shirt & tie with long trousers and summer uniform polo shirts & shorts and I love the fact they all take such pride in their appearance (& DS1 age 6 can tie a better tie than me!)

Don't like it - send them to a more bohemian school.

It's actually quite hard to find a school without a uniform in the UK, or at least it is where I live! When I was a kid (admittedly quite some time ago, but less than two miles away from where I live now) uniforms were encouraged but not insisted on. There was quite a range of clothing in my primaries from totally non-uniform through to the full shirt and tie business. By and large, children were dressed how their parents wanted them to be dressed and mostly that meant no uniform at all for littlies and mostly fairly close adherence to the uniform code by 11 or so.

I chose a non-uniform school for my daughter and they've only bloody well turned round and instituted a uniform, starting this September. There is no other non-uniform school in the borough. So I don't really have a choice to choose a more bohemian school. There isn't one.

What should I do, if I don't agree that uniform is a good idea or adds anything to a child's educational experience? I clearly don't have the choice of selecting a school without a uniform.

Uniform is not about discipline. Its about conformity.

Theres a difference. And tbh, its not necessarily a good thing.

If you need to have one, why you have to put kids in something thats uncomfortable and impractical really is beyond me. All the kids do it look for ways to break the rules with it instead...

I think that the conformity of uniform only works when the person wants to conform.

DS's school has a strict uniform policy which we follow with gritted teeth. DS looks like he is dressed in rags.

DS goes to Army cadets. Each week he irons his kit and polishes his boots. He puts on his beret so that the badge is in precisely the right position relative to his left eyebrow.

Uniform is about not having to decide what the child is going to wear every morning, or when they are older, the child having to decide what they're going to wear. It removes most aspects of clothing competititiveness. It also identifies the children as being from that particular school.

Conformity hadn't even occurred to me. In any case young people should primarily be learning to be original and non-conformist in their thinking and intellect, not their clothes.

I wish our school had uniforms, the clothes policy is quite relaxed. No open toe shoes or flip flops (Although I see flip flops a lot) no spaghetti straps and thats about it. It's like a flippin fashion parade and I don't thing the high school girls could wear smaller shorter shorts if they tried.

At secondary level, I think a school uniform is very important. My DS1 is required to wear a boater, blazer, button down shirt, tie, leather belt, slacks and to have his shoes polished at all times. Whilst this policy definitely unifies the school and the boys are all extremely proud of their uniform and their school - for me, it's about respect. Respecting the rules and adhering to them.

There are too many young adults who lack clear boundaries these days - IMO they could use more discipline and structure.

But teaching to conform in how you dress, actually inhibits other forms of original behaviour. If kids are focused on the uniform they don't do it in other areas, and it increases pressure to fit in rather than encouraging children to accept anyone who is different and doesn't. It actually makes them more likely to be competitive in clothes rather than less likely imho.

It sends all the wrong signals that is a bad thing to be different.

I think its very telling that on the whole the best preforming schools have very strict uniform rules

Private
Grammer and
Church schools also usually very strict unforms

My childs school have a very very strict uniform and actaully because the children know whats expected the teachers spend little time pulling them up i find its when the uniform is a bit all over the place its difficult for the children to know what ok and whats not .

Also i found it very intesting when i went to look at a year 7 place couple of years ago that the 3 best schools in the area bar 1 all had grammer school type uniforms and it was the worst performing schools that had these type of tracksuit style uniforms of a loose take on a blazered unform

My childs own schools os very simple

Black coat plain
Black trouers for boys
Black skirt for girls
(black tights for girls if they want )
White shirt
Clip on tie
Black v neck jumper
Blazer
(plain black headscarf for muslim girls)
(Plain black turban for seihk boys )
No mobiles And no mp3s

HmmThinkingAboutIt its about doing what yur told weather you like it or not when these chikdren go ito the working wold not wanting to conform is likey to end in getting sacked

Better to teach them the skills they need in the work place now

Most of the boys will pretty much rauired to wear a shirt and tie their working life if you becaome a barrister you cant just turn up in board shorts because you feel like their is a dress code to fit the mood and tone of whats going on.

We went to one school open evening and i must say one of the art teAchers was dressed very sexy indeed and it really put me off

Learing how to dress it an important skill and sadly many parents these days are not taeching their children its all only do it if it makes you happy bull crap someone has to

But doesn't that say more about the parents than the children in the first place, rather than uniform being a cause of bad behaviour?

All it says is that the children who have the strictest uniforms come from more privileged and stable backgrounds. Not that the uniform makes them behave better.

HmmThinkingAboutIt its about doing what yur told weather you like it or not when these chikdren go ito the working wold not wanting to conform is likey to end in getting sacked

Disagree completely. You can think out the box and be creative. Conforming is not about behaviour necessarily.

And conformity can inhibit high achievers who don't want to be seen to shine too.

My problem with DS's school is that they have to ask to take their blazers off, even on hot days. There is just something about it that doesnt sit well with me.

"Most of the boys will pretty much rauired to wear a shirt and tie their working life"

I just don't think that's true any more. The tie is dying out in many workplaces, including those of traditional professions. My DH is a civil engineer. 10 years ago, ties were compulsory. Now hardly any of them wear one. I work in a local govt office - I'd say only 25% of the men now wear ties, including at senior management level.

I'm sure lawyers and civil servants still wear them, but it's probably only a matter of time.

I disagree HmmThinkingAboutIt. I think it's entirely possible to teach tolerance and acceptance whilst at the same time expecting that a child behaves in an acceptable standard - my sons school is very well known for it's acceptance of children from all walks of life.

Tolerance, acceptance of our differences and acceptance that we need to abide by rules are not mutually exclusive.

I think you need to look at some of the best entrepreneurs out there. Being different and being a misfit seems to be a common trait. I really do think conformity inhibits not helps.

The uniform is just one of the many things that are expected us of to meet societal standards.

I think the rise in serious behaviourial issues (violence etc), stems from the school of thought that children should be allowed to be self moderate and that to impose rules and expectations is somehow shackling them and inhibiting their potential.

When I was at school in the dark ages we had blazers and had to ask permission to remove them.

The school I teach in has just had a uniform consultation and is moving from polo shirts to blazers, shirts and ties, and they have sold out as the existing students (for whom it was not a compulsory change) wanted it almost unanimously.

For what it's worth, I teach science and will be having a "no blazers" rule for practical work, due to the health and safety implications of wearing a polyester blazer whilst working with a naked flame. That's my personal risk assessment, there is no department or school risk assessment for blazers.

They look very smart, and I think the kids are keen to wear them, so that's fine as long as I don't have to wear a suit, the school is responding to the voice of the students!

DS always finishes school looking as though he's been dragged through a hedge backwards so I like a uniform I can wash at 40 degrees. No blazers here please! Also, most of Scotland is very wet. The smell of 30 wet blazers in a small, stuffy classroom is horrible. Don't mind dress trousers though so long as they can be stuffed in a washing machine.

Oh, I've just realised from the post above that some blazers are polyester. Ours were always wool which stank when they were wet.

Don't see the point of "encouraging" uniform or uniform options, the whole point is that every one is the same, and can identify with the school and it's philosophy. Have read all responses and still cannot see one single good reason not to have a smart strictly enforced uniform policy in schools. Costs less too over time.

i thought the main point was to create a level playing field so poor kids don't look different to rich kids